Esprit Bleu, Coeur Noir
by The Original Marisa
Summary: OMGWTF. UPDATE! This is a colaborative work between Bibly and I. Rock and Forte wake up, only to find that something quite odd has occurred...
1. The Awakening

Esprit Bleu, Coeur Noir  
  
  
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By Marisa and Bibly  
  
...or Bibly and Marisa  
  
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Note from Marisa: This is one of those colaborative stories that I love so much, between Bibly and I. ^_^ I write a chapter, send it to Bibly, she writes a chapter, sends it to me...so on, so forth, until it's finished. This chapter happens to be my work. Enjoy!  
  
  
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Forte Sat up in bed. It wasn't his bed. This wasn't his room. This wasn't right. He was staring at sky colored walls. The bed had sapphire sheets. He was wearing blue pajamas.  
  
He jumped out of bed. The floor was a lot closer than it should have been.  
  
"What the fuck?"  
  
His voice was high. Too high. That wasn't his voice. It was someone else's.  
  
"N...no. No no no."  
  
He whirled, desperately searching for a mirror. There was one on the far wall, next to a blue wardrobe.  
  
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.  
  
He stepped closer to the mirror, as the image on the other side came clearer into view. His face was only a foot from the glass until the truth finally sank in.  
  
Forte was looking into the mirror.  
  
Rock was staring back.  
  
  
  
Lumpy mattress. Scratchy sheets. Starchy pajamas. Rock groaned and opened his eyes. Where was he? He'd never seen this place before.   
  
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, brushing some purple locks of hair from his eyes. Man, was he tired. He stretched and yawned...  
  
Hey! His hair was black, not purple! And it wasn't that long!  
  
In fact, the only guy he knew with purple hair was...  
  
was...  
  
No.   
  
Rock jumped out of bed. The bed that wasn't his. The floor was concrete, not carpet. And it was much farther away than it should have been.  
  
He glanced around and found a mirror. It was smudged and cracked, but it still gave him a good idea of how he looked. And he looked like Forte.  
  
  
  
Forte immediately locked the door to Rock's room. His room. This room. Whatever. The LAST thing he needed was someone walking in on him while he was trying to think.  
  
Dream. Dream. Dream. This was a dream. Nothing but some nightmare! Yes, that's it! Just a nightmare...just a nightmare.  
  
Forte stared up at the ceiling. "I'd like to wake up now!" He called, trudging over to Rock's bed. "I'll just sit here and wait 'till I do!"  
  
  
  
Rock was in a frenzy. What happened? How could something like this happen? This couldn't happen! This was something you'd see in a book, or a movie, or a video game! This was real life, this couldn't happen!  
  
He sighed and sat down on the floor. Not like it was any better that that lumpy old mattress. He curled up, knees close to his chest, back against the wall. He needed to think. When did this happen? Probably the middle of the night. How did this happen?   
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a low growl to his right. Glancing in that direction, he saw the purple lupine robot, Gospel, baring its teeth at Rock, ready to strike.  
  
"You can tell I'm not Forte, huh?" Rock murmured.  
  
A threatening bark was his answer, as Gospel stepped closer.  
  
"Please don't look at me like that. I know I'm not Forte, You know I'm not Forte, but being attacked isn't what I need right now."  
  
Gospel growled louder.  
  
"Just leave me alone!" Rock buried his face - Forte's face - in his knees - Forte's knees - and let out a muffled sob. Rock didn't often cry, but this qualified as a good time.  
  
The growling stopped, but Rock didn't notice until he felt Gospel lick his cheek.  
  
"Wh..what?"  
  
Gospel sat quietly, almost grinning.   
  
"You heard me crying, huh?" Rock smiled, patting the dog on the head. "I hope you don't mind, I didn't mean to steal your master's body. I think this is going to take a little getting used to for the both of us." It was good to have a friend at a time like this. Strangely enough, Gospel seemed to have actual emotion. Rush, on the other hand, was only programmed to act how a dog would. Rock felt a small twang of jealousy over Forte for that.  
  
Forte! He was in Forte's body, so does that mean...  
  
"Is Forte in MY body?"  
  
  
-- 


	2. Starting the Day

_Wake up, wake up, wake up!_ Forte shouted at himself, closing his eyes tightly. He sat in silence for a while, doing nothing but sitting hunched over upon the cushy bed, his eyes closed so tightly he was beginning to see spots on the back of his eyelids. "…I'm not waking up," he muttered to himself as he opened his eyes once again. "Damn it all to hell!" He blinked. No wonder Rock never swore; it just didn't sound right coming from someone with such a high-pitched voice and usually sounded so positive. He sighed. How in the world did this manage to happen? People can't just switch bodies. Besides, no one removed his data chips to place into Rock's body or anything of the sort. Why would they, anyway? 'Hey, let's just take out his data chips and replace –'

_Wait a minute_. Forte sat up, his eyes wide. _If I'm in Rock's body, then –_ Forte growled. If he was in the squirt's body, then the only logical thing he could think of at the moment was that the little wimp was in his. "Damn it!" he cussed, slamming the back of his head against the wall. The very thought itself enraged him, but it was the only thing that made sense to him. Sort of. _You better not do anything stupid, Rock! Wily and the other Robot Masters will notice if my aggressiveness suddenly falters, which means they'll take advantage of him…or me…er…ugh! _Forte scratched the back of his neck in aggravation, expecting to find his hair tied into a ponytail, but remembered that Rock's hair was short. _Come to think of it, Rock's family will notice something's up if I act like I normally do, and I can't let them know I'm not Rock until I know what the hell is going on. But how in all hell does he act around them…?_ Forte glanced around, trying to find something that would at least give him a small hint. He slipped off the bed and onto the floor – scratching his head slightly upon realizing just how short Rock actually was – and began rummaging through his desk drawers. _Book, paper, doodles…god, nothing in here's worth my – _"Huh? What's this?" Picking up a small book, he placed it on the desk and opened it immediately. He had seen something like this before. Where, he didn't remember, but he knew he had seen something like it. But what was it called? "…It's a…a…photo album…? Yeah, a photo album." He flipped through the pages, gazing at the photos. They weren't helping very much. In some photos, it looked like he got along well with everyone, and in others, it looked like he annoyed the hell out of everyone. Forte sighed. _Guess I gotta take a guess at this. Now to find something to wear. _Wandering over to a nearby dresser, he pulled one of the drawers open and stared. Rock had much more clothes than Forte himself did, and a larger variety of colors as well - not that he liked a lot of colors, though.

"Rock, you lucky bastard…," Forte muttered, pulling out a pair of blue jeans and a gray tee-shirt. "A bunch of clothes, a nice room, probably a damn nice house, why the hell would you fight if you live in a place like this?" Forte pulled off his shirt and tossed in on the bed, taking a quick glance in the mirror to ease his curiosity about just how Rock looked under his armor. "Holy -!" Forte poked at his chest slightly, then his arms and shoulders. "His armor sure doesn't lie! Nothing! He's got nothing on him! He's thin as hell!" He glared at his reflection. "How the hell does he keep defeating me?!"

_Knock-knock._

Forte froze. Was someone knocking at the door, or had he just imagined it? _Please don't let someone be there, please don't let someone be there, please don't -_

Knock-knock.

Fuck! "Um…yeah?" Forte called, staring at the door's reflection in the mirror.

"Rock, are you all right? I heard you shout and thought something might be goin' down," someone replied. A deep voice – not very deep, but deep enough so that one could clearly tell whoever it was was male. He sounded young as well. Young, male, deep voice…

_Blues._ Forte narrowed his eyes. His first test. _Time to see if I can pull this off…_ "I'm fine. I just stubbed my toe on the dresser."

"I could have sworn I heard you shout something along the lines of 'How the hell does he keep defeating me'."

_Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!_ "Oh! That!" _What do I say?!_ "I…I was reading one of my books out loud! You know, just to get the feel of the emotions and stuff."

Silence enveloped the two of them. Forte smirked, believing Blues had bought his story, until:

"You said you stubbed your toe."

"I did."

"But you just said you were reading a book."

Forte blinked. _Crap! Damn it!_ He rubbed his forehead, clearly annoyed that he had cornered himself. "I stubbed my toe as soon as I finished the line."

"…Got cha. Anyway, hurry up and get ready."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're going to the mall today, remember? A whole family outing before I head off again. Good god, don't tell me your memory chip's acting up again." Blues' chuckle could be heard through the door.

Forte grinned. _Seems like Rock gets picked on a tad at home, too. I'd give him some help, but why would I wanna do that? They'd suspect something, anyway. So, let's see, how'd he reply…_ "Hey! C'mon!" he shouted, attempting to sound hurt. "That wasn't nice, Blues!'

Blues' chuckle erupted into a loud laugh. "Just kidding, Rock! You know that! Seriously, though, hurry up. We'll be waiting for you downstairs."

"Right, kay." Forte listened to Blues' fading steps before chuckling to himself and returning to changing his clothes.

~ * - - - - - - - - - - * ~

Rock rubbed the tears away from his eyes with his fists, staring at the dirty floor. He still didn't understand what had happened and why he was in Fortes body. _I hope dad and everyone don't freak out…_ He smiled weakly. His family; he missed them already._ I wanna go home…,_ he thought, standing up slowly. A frown crossed his face when he caught his reflection. There was no possible way he'd be able to go home looking like Forte. He'd be attacked for sure. Maybe not by Forte, but defiantly by Blues, and he certainly wouldn't buy any story Rock would be able to come up with…

Collapsing onto the bed to think some more, he cringed, feeling the rock-hard springs dig into his belly. "Ow!" he shouted, immediately standing back up. "How does Forte sleep on that thing?" Rock rubbed his belly. "No wonder he's so grouchy, even his pajamas are uncomfy!" Lifting the tattered sweater over his head, he tossed it to the ground. "Poor guy; the room's horrible, the bed's hard as a rock, his pajamas are –

" – WOW."

Rock stared at the mirror, Forte's tan face showing Rock's surprised expression. He was never able to tell what Forte truly looked like beneath all his armor, but now that he was shirtless, it was as clear as day.

Forte was BUILT. And not in a mechanical sense.

Rock walked towards the mirror in a daze, touching his arm slightly. "My…uh…whoa…CRAZY!" Rock flexed a 'muscle', watching as it hardened, then continued to poke at it, staring at it in bewilderment. _With a body like this, I wonder why he can't beat me! …Well, I guess it's the experience in battle that really counts, but still!_

Tearing his eyes away from the mirror, Rock headed to the only dresser in the room and pulled it open, wincing when the wheels inside squeaked loudly. He looked at Gospel. "Has this thing ever been oiled?" Gospel cocked his head in reply. "Guess not." He returned to the drawer. "Maybe I'll ail it for him sometime." Peering inside, Rock was greeted by nothing but black. Black pants, black shirts, black boxers, black socks – black everything. He scratched his head. How unbelievably BORING. The clothing suited him, though.

He pulled out one of the shirts and looked at it. "…'Linkin Park'?" Rock read aloud. "I think I've heard of them before. Twentieth century band, right?" Gospel baked in agreement. "All right! At least I know a little bit about the stuff Forte's interested in!" Changing his clothes quickly, Rock checked out his reflection and smiled. "Looks good! Something's missing, though…" He thought for a moment. What was it? "Ah-ha! Ponytail!" Spotting a small black rubber band on the night stand, he pulled his purple hair back and tied it quickly and lazily, leaving his bangs hanging before his face like he had on Forte once before. "All better." He turned to Gospel. "Well, whaddya think?" Gospel nudged Rock's hand with his nose, gazing up at him with a somewhat friendly glint in his eyes despite who he truly was. Rock giggled, something that sounded quite bizarre coming from Forte himself. "I look good, eh? Great!" Rock rubbed Gospel's head softly. His smile fell slightly, however, when he realized what he now had to do: he had to go out into the hallways of the fortress and show himself. Forte may have been a loner, but Rock doubted he sat in his room all day. Of course, Rock didn't have a clue as to how Forte normally acted at home, but he would have to go out sooner or later. He sighed. _Now to put on the best angry face I can._ Gazing into the mirror once more, he tried his best to copy Forte's usual expression. He did quite well, although it didn't look exactly like it, but it was a bit uncomfortable nonetheless.

Taking a deep breath, Rock flung the door open and stepped out into the hall, slamming the door shut just as Gospel trotted out. He gazed at the few Robot Masters that walked past him, then began walking as well. Not used to his new height or the layout of the new fortress – especially in the living quarters – he bumped into something quite violently. "OW!" he shouted, rubbing at where his forehead came in contact with a large, low-hanging pipe. Looking up, he spotted a few Robot Masters staring at him, their eyebrows raised. He stared back, dazed, then remembered what was going on. "Uh…I mean…damn stupid fucking pipe!"


	3. Cue Suspenseful Music Here

**Esprit Bleu, Coeur Noir**   
_Blue Mind, Black Heart_

by Marisa and Bibly

**Chapter 3**

_That was close!_ Rock thought. _Okay! Think Forte! Just try to avoid contact with any-_

**_WHAM!!_**

Rock collided with Elec Man. 

"Oh! Jeez, I'm sorry!" Rock exclaimed. 

"Hey, it's okay, I...wait, _what_ was that?" Elec Man eyed Rock suspiciously. 

_Ooh, Good one, Rock._ "I...uh...YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU'D BETTER GODDAMN WATCH WHERE YOUR FUCKING GOING NEXT TIME OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" 

Elec Man's eyes widened as he turned on his heel and ran in the other direction. 

"Eh..." Rock turned to Gospel, "Think that was a bit much?" 

Gospel nodded in agreement. 

****

Forte tried to shrink back as much as he could. When he went to the mall, which was quite rare, he was usually on some sort of killing spree. Now, he was going to shop. 

With his worst enemies, too. Man, what a _great_ day. 

"Come _on_, Rock!" Roll grabbed Forte's arm and pulled him along, "You don't want to get lost, do you?" 

Forte shook his head. "...No." _Hell yes._

****

The Mall! They were going to the mall tody! Rock grinned. _I can meet them at the mall; it won't look nearly as suspicious, and I might have a chance to talk with Forte!_ Yes! It was perfect! "Gospel, I've got an idea, but I need you to show me the way out-" 

"FORTE!" Wily's voice rang throughout the fortress, courtesey of an intercom, "Get in here!" 

_That was so not what I needed._ "Okay, um, Gospel, lead the way." Rock gulped. He sure hoped Wily didn't suspect something. But he hadn't acted all THAT out of the ordinary...had he? 

_Oh no! What if there's a camera in Forte's room?_ Rock gasped. No way! There was absolutely nowhere in that room that plain to hide a camera. So, if it (hopefully) wasn't about his 'odd' behavior, then what could he want? 

_Maybe he wants me to attack or something!_ That would be horrible! Rock couldn't decide what was worse- Being found out, or being forced to kill his family AND himself...or at least his body...sort of. 

Before he knew it, Gospel had led him to a door, marked with an all-too-familiar W. 

_Here goes nothing..._

****

Forte was in the dressing room, trying on a white shirt with green sleeves with a pair of baggy blue jeans. God, this was embarrassing. If any of the Robot Masters found out what was going on... 

He looked at his reflection in the stall mirror. He smiled weakly. "It IS kind of cute..." he said to himself. 

The smile immediately faded. _Oh dear god! I did **not** just say that!_ He tried to shake any similar thoughts from his mind. _I'm just stressed, that's all._ He tried to tell himself. 

That's right. Just stressed. 

**end chapter 3**

**Pointless and Annoying Notes from Marisa:** Ah! Good old Chapter 3! ^_^ Hahaha, I've created suspense! Fear me, dudes! Be excellent to each other, and remember a trash can! Whoo, sorry, Bill and Ted moment. o_o; Talk about annoying and pointless. What was I going to say? I can't remember. Whatever, I don't care anyway. 


	4. Realization Begins

Rock pushed the door open slowly, peering inside slightly. He glanced around for a bit, noting that the room was quite dark and cluttered. He couldn't even see Wily anywhere. _Wily… Wait, wait! G'AH!_ Rock shoved himself against the door, watching as it flew open and crashed into the wall. _Oh man! Not good! Too hard, too hard!_ He stole a quick glance at Gospel; the mutt stood next to him, doing nothing more than staring ahead. _Uh –_

"Damn it, Forte, how many times have I told you NOT to do that?!" Wily's voice sounded from the far corner of the room.

Rock scratched his head. _I guess that was a good thing._ While searching for Wily, he inspected the area he was now in. Never before had he imagined himself walking so freely through Wily's fortress; it nearly scared him. He looked around once more, watching in curiosity as numerous machines blinked and beeped. _Dad's got nothing like this at home._ Still lost in his thoughts, Rock didn't bother to notice the old man that had stopped before him. He did a double take when his gaze landed on Wily and swallowed. Hard. Holding back the urge to whip out his armor and start blasting, Rock stared at his forehead – which he could see was quite large, now that they stood so closely – and attempted to appear as if nothing was wrong.

"Well now, what's with the odd expression, Forte? You almost look like you've never seen the lab before," Wily commented, gazing at Rock intently.

Rock tried his best to put on Forte's common cocky grin before replying, "Just never realized how colorful this damn place is before."

Wily nodded. "I see. Being told that obvious statement was not why I asked you to come here, however."

_Oh no, here it comes!_ Rock shoved his hands into his pockets, rubbing them against the fabric ever so slightly. _Please don't make me attack my family…!_ Heading towards a nearby desk, Wily retrieved a sheet of paper and handed it to him. Rock stared at it. It looked like a shopping list full of…parts? "Uh…"

"What's wrong? You should know what to do," Wily stated flatly.

"Yeah, yeah, still kinda tired," Rock answered quickly, still staring at the paper.

Wily gazed at him for a few moments. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get going! And I'll be watching you just in case that annoying Rockman appears!"

_No! Don't watch me!_ Rock nodded. "Right." Walking out the door and heading into the hallway, he slouched over as soon as he heard the door slam shut. Running a hand through his hair, he gazed down at Gospel. "Guess I won't be able to get a hold of Forte without Wily noticing something…" He peered at the paper once more. "…I guess I won't be able to just pay for these, either."

~ * - - - - - - - - - - * ~

Forte crossed his arms over his chest as he followed his 'family,' glancing at all the stores they passed from the corners of his eyes. This day was becoming a hell of an experience, and he still wished he would just wake up or something. _Why me? Why am I the one that has to be trapped in this damn body?!_

"Hey, Rock! Snap out of it, bro!" Blues suddenly shouted, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, nearly hugging him. Forte's natural reaction was to grab Blues by the throat and chuck him into the nearest store window, but thought better of it when realizing what a large commotion that would cause. So, instead, he forced a smile and closed his eyes. He appeared to be happy, but annoyance radiated off him like the foul stench on a pile of – "Why the glum look? Aren't you happy to be out with your family?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Forte stated the best he could while holding back the urge to burst into a fit of screams. _Let go of me, you crazy bastard from hell!!_

"Sure doesn't seem like it," Roll added, frowning at him.

"Well, I am happy to be out with you guys." Forte could feel his insides tossing and turning, the sickening feeling he was getting from saying such things nearly too much to handle. "Dunno why you would think otherwise."

Blues smirked, rustling Forte's hair with his hand before pulling away. "I guess it's pretty obvious he's happy to be out with us no matter what expression he's wearing. I mean, come on, he's out with his big brother, Blues! That's a damn good reason enough!" Blues shouted, posing dramatically as they walked.

Dr. Light laughed, his large belly shaking slightly at the movement. "Calm down before you blow a circuit, Blues."

"HEY! DAD!!"

Forte couldn't help but chuckle. …Wait. _Why am I chuckling? Am I actually enjoying this?_ No way. There was no way he could actually be enjoying any of it. And yet…he was truly chuckling. Shaking his head, he brought his attention to a store in the distance. He smiled. _Hot Topic!* YES!_ As he jogged toward the store he knew he would feel comfortable in, he heard Roll shouting after him.

"Rock! Hey, Rock, where're you going?" she shouted, chasing after him, followed closely by Blues.

Forte pointed at the store just a few feet away. "In there."

Blues peered up at the sign, then raised an eyebrow. "'Hot Topic'? You always said that place scared the shit out of you."

Forte blinked. _…Son of a - ! Don't tell me I just messed up! Damn it!! _"My…curiosity has gotten the better of me," he answered lamely.

"Your curiousity? Rock, how many times have I tried to get you to go in there with me? You backed out each and every time!"

_Blues? He shops there?_ Forte stared at him, finally realizing that it was pretty obvious. Blues was adorned in a bike-chain-type choker, along with a matching bike-chain-type bracelet along with a few others, somewhat baggy black pants and a white under-shirt. _…I guess we have more in common than I would have guessed._ Forte shrugged. "Well, I'll take that chance now."

"Super!" Blues replied with a smirk, grabbing Forte by the arm and dragging him inside.

Forte sighed. _Finally…somewhere I feel comfortable!_

~ * - - - - - - - - - - * ~

Rock muttered to himself as he stared at the list, running over the plan in his head for what seemed the hundredth time. _All right, so I'll just get the stuff and leave. No set backs or anything. I'll do it as quick as I can before Forte pops up. Man, I don't wanna steal anything! E-e-e-e-eh!!_ He closed his eyes tightly, suddenly feeling as if he would burst into tears again. It just wasn't his day. "No, no, everything will be fine. Everything'll get fixed sooner or later." Taking a deep breath, he looked down at Gospel, who was staring at him intently. "All right, let's get this over with!" he shouted. He summoned his armor…but nothing happened. "…Eh? What in the - ? Hey! What's going on?!" Gospel barked, wagging his tail slightly. "…Don't tell me Forte's way of getting his armor is different than mine. A-a-a-a-a-ah, mother of pearl!" Rock immediately began tinkering with whatever he could without having to open any of the latches throughout Forte's body, listening to the soft whirs and snaps that sounded every time he would move something. Before long, he finally figure out what to do, and was overcome with a sense of dizziness. He felt everything within him shift around as his armor appeared, and even after he had received his armor, he felt winded. "Good god…that was HORRIBLE!"

Picking up the sheet of paper from where it had fallen on the floor, Rock shifted his weight around slightly, trying to adjust to his 'new' armor. Never before had he had an armor that covered his chest; it made him somewhat uncomfortable. It was surprisingly light, however. "Okay, NOW let's go." In a flash of purple light, the two of them disappeared into the sky.

~ * - - - - - - - - - - * ~

Forte smiled contentedly as he purchased a few ball-chain necklaces and some new shoelaces for the shoes he had purchased earlier. He wanted to buy more, but didn't want to make himself seem even more suspicious.

Blues patted him on the back as they headed out, smiling proudly at his brother's accomplishment. "Great job, Rock! Never thought you'd head in there and actually buy something! You've got nice taste, though. Them blue flame shoelaces, very nice, very nice."

"Thanks," Forte muttered, forcing himself to smile up at him. Blues wasn't really that bad of a guy, much as Forte refused to admit it. They really had more in common than he had originally thought. As a matter of fact, the whole family wasn't that bad…

_NO. DON'T EVEN THINK THAT WAY._ Forte scolded himself, glaring at his reflection in the store window. _DON'T._

"Well, where shall we head to – " Roll was cut off by a loud crashing sound. Numerous humans around them screamed as they ran in fear, debris flying in every which direction as dust flooded the area before him. "HOLY!!!"

Forte stared at the spot before him, having already taken a ready stance in case something attacked him. His eyes widened at the sight before him. It was himself! Or, as it was at the moment, Rock!

Rock stared at his family, his insides immediately beginning to twist around like mad. _I didn't think they'd be over here! Good job, Rock!_ He spotted Forte. His gaze softened. Never before had he thought he'd be looking at himself like this, from his enemy's point of view. He never realized how small he actually was, how timid and fragile he appeared…no wonder Forte always got so riled up whenever he beat him. _Gotta get this over with; let's go, let's go!_

After staring at them for a few more moments, Rock bolted in the opposite direction, heading straight for the nearest store he could find that would contain any sort of electronic equipment.

"Forte! Forte, what are you doing?! That brat is behind you!" Wily's scratchy voice shouted over the intercom in his helmet.

Rock growled, then blinked. Had he actually…growled? He shook it off. "I've got it under control! Don't worry your pretty little head about it!"

"Forte - !"

"Don't worry!"

Blues had taken the time the humans used to run for their lives to summon his armor and started off in Rock's direction. He gazed back at Forte. "ROCK?! What the hell! Get your armor on and let's get going!"

Forte stared in the direction Rock had run off, confused as to what he should do. _I need to talk to him about this, but he's in my armor, which means Wily's watching… And I can't attack myself, either! FUCKIN' A'! THIS ISN'T WORKING TO MY LIKING!_ "Right!" Summoning Rock's armor, Forte stared down at his hands in disbelief when nothing appeared but the clothes he had been wearing to begin with. "…What in all - ?!"

"ROCK! Let's get a move on!" Blues shouted one last time before finally deciding to leave his brother where he stood and began chasing Rock down.

_That's right, this isn't my body!_ Forte slapped himself mentally. _Then how does he get his armor to come on? Let's see…maybe this…or this…uh…fucking thing! Let's get going, ya piece of shit!_ Forte stood there for a moment, a look of pure anger worn on his face. Apparently, the expression had frightened Roll even more than the attack that had just taken place since she was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Rock – "

"S-S-SH!" Forte shouted. "Got it!" A bright blue light suddenly surrounded him, and as soon as it subsided, he was left standing in Rock's blue armor. He shifted around a bit. _How in all hell does he wear this? I feel naked!_ Sighing, he began to head in the direction Rock and Blues had headed, his mind still swarmed by the numerous outcomes to what would take place between them.

Rock skidded to a halt before an electronics store. "I'm sure they'll have what he's looking for in here! Let's go, Gospel!"

With a load roar, Gospel ran into the room, scaring off all the people that had previously been shopping in it. _I'm sorry! I really don't want to do this!_ Rock thought as he followed the mutt, running straight passed everything and into the back room. Flinging the door open, he found piles of parts on the floor. He sighed. _U-u-u-u-ugh. They all have to make it so hard on me._ Hunching over the piles, he began to rummage through all the pieces, picking up the things Wily needed. _Why did I have to come here, of all places? I could have just gone to "Track Auto" or whatever the hell it's called…_

A swift kick to the back suddenly connected with his side, sending the ebony clad bioroid into a nearby wall. He hissed, looking up at his attacker. His eyes widened. _No, not Blues!_

"Let's go, dumb ass!" Blues shouted, changing his arm into his buster cannon. "I won't go easy on you like Rock does!"

"No! I'm taking this one!" Forte shouted from behind Blues.

Rock gazed at him. _No, no, no, no!_ He stood up slowly, staring at Forte from underneath his helmet. "…Rock."

"Forte."

The battle ended right there. Forte attacked, and without even realizing it, Rock shifted out of the way, grabbed him by the throat, and tossed him into Blues with such a force that after the two slipped from the ground they had slammed into, the wall had cracked and a small hole could be seen from where Blues' shoulder had rammed into it. Rock gasped. He did that? Never before had he been able to attack so quickly and with such strength… Was it Forte's body that had allowed him to do it? Was it his previous experience in battle? …Or was it a combination of both?

Gazing at the two bioroids one last time, Rock grabbed the equipment he had come for, waited for Gospel to join his side, and departed them.

* Just a lil' side note: Hot Topic is a store full of gothic-type clothing. Lots of black, chains, things that Forte would probably choose to wear over anything else. …Well, I can also imagine him in skater clothes, but whatever. o_O;;


	5. The Brink of Insanity

  
**Notes from Marisa**: Ooh! Big thankees to all you guys who reviewed from Bibly and me! And a big, big thanks to AD-Chan for making this lovely piece of fanart! (http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=112106) ^_^ If you have some fanart, please, feel free to send it to one of us! 

Now, may I present... **

Esprit Bleu, Coeur Noir

**   
By Miss Marisa (the conceited girl who decided to put her name first) and Bibly 

  


**Chapter 5**

Forte found himself drifting in and out of conciousness. He hurt everywhere...blackness...Someone was carrying him...blackness again...he was on a lab table...back at the lab?...damn, his shoulder hurt... 

"Rock?" 

Blues's voice. It was so...distant. "Rock!" 

"Ugh..." Forte groaned. 

"Man, Forte was really mad at you for something." Blues whistled. "You're in real bad shape. Dad and Roll went back to the storage closet to get some more equipment." 

Forte forced back a chuckle. "Can't imagine why." 

"You know, when he threw you at me, you were a bit heavy." Blues grinned. "Maybe you should go on a diet." 

"I don't _eat_, you stupid asshole." Forte sneered. 

Blues was a bit taken back by the comment. "What...? Rock, I don't think I've _ever_ heard you curse before." 

"Yeah? Well maybe he should start." Forte tried to sit up, but he was still damaged. 

"What do you mean 'He'?" Blues was getting suspicious. "Rock, you've been acting strange all day. What the hell's going on?" 

_Now he suspects something._ Forte thought, _Good job, Rock._

No. 

_Oh dear god **NO!**_ Forte's mind screamed, _I just called myself Rock!_ Forte tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard. 

Forte throat felt tight, and his eyes tingled a bit. 

_HOLY FUCK._ Forte mentally cursed, _I'm going to cry. NO! NO! NO CRY! CRYING BAD!_

His eyes filled with tears. He tried to blink them back, but to no avail. They soon rolled down the sides of his face. 

"What's happening to me?" He had already choked it out before he realized he had said it aloud. 

"Rock? Wh..what's wrong?" Blues's voice was filled with worry. 

_Not worry for me_, Forte mentally hissed, _No, he's worried about that little blue body-thief ROCK! That bastard! I could kill them bo- _

Killing is wrong! 

Holy shi- 

Cussing is wrong too! 

**WHO ARE YOU?!**

I'm your programming, Rock! 

SHUT UP! I AM NOT ROCK! 

Of course you are! You're in Rock's body, you must be Rock! 

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. 

"I'M FORTE!" 

_No you aren't. Forte is in in Forte's body._ The programming said calmly. 

"No! You don't get it! Rock is in Forte's body! MY body!" 

The 'voice' was silent. It was replaced by another voice. 

"...You really believe what you're saying, don't you?" Blues asked. 

"Wha-?" Forte gasped. Had he said all that out loud? 

"Rock...have all these years of fighting...have they been getting to you?" 

"What're you talking about? I'm serious!" Forte exclaimed. _He think's I'm nuts!_ Forte realized. But then something else struck him. _What if I am?_

"I...I'll go get dad, okay?" Blues started, backing away from the table. "I'll let him know something's wrong-" 

"DON'T. YOU. DARE." Forte hissed. 

~-~-~-~

Rock sat on Forte's uncomfortable bed, wearing Forte's boring black clothes, staring up at Forte's pathetic ceiling. 

_I want to go home. But Forte's there. He stole my body, my home, my family...they all looked so perfect together. _

So kill 'im! 

What? 

Kill him! 

Um, no, I don't think I want to go **quite** that far... 

Kill him! 

Is that all you say? 

Kill him! 

I guess so... 

That's right! Kill him! 

No! I didn't mean 'I guess I should kill him'! 

Well you should! 

Who are you? Rock thought. 

_I'm Forte's programming! _

You can't tell me what to do! 

Heh. As long as you're in Forte's body, I can make you do any shit I want you to. 

Shut up! 

Hell no! 

"Shut UP!" Rock sat up and clutched the sides of his head, clamping his eyes shut. 

_No way! _

"LEAVE ME ALONE YOU GOD DAMN LITTLE SHIT! I DON'T FUCKING HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU!" 

_Ahh, you haven't even noticed what's happening. _

"What the hell are you talking about? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" 

_Listen to how freely you're cursing! Isn't it just beautiful?_

"NO! GO AWAY!" 

_And hurting Blues like that in the mall? Your own brother! My, my, Rock, that sounds a lot like something **FORTE** would do!_

"NO! NO! NO! I AM NOT FORTE!" 

_But you're turning into him._

"I AM NOT FORTE! I AM ROCK! I'M ROCK, DAMMIT!" 

"Is that so?" 

Rock froze, and turned to the right. Standing in the doorway to Forte's room was none other than Dr. Wily. 

"Oh...shit." Rock said. 


	6. Revived after a very long time!

Forte glared at Blues threateningly, a deep growl erupting from deep within his throat. He could see the confusion in his eyes through the nearly opaque sunglasses; obviously the taller bioroid didn't believe what he was saying. Trying his best to ignore Rock's whiny programming, he flashed Blues a large grin. "Why the perplexed expression, Blues?" Forte asked as he swung his legs over the edge of the table. His body began to ache with the sudden movement, making him wince slightly. "Isn't it obvious that I'm not your annoying little brother? Or are you just as dumb as he is?"

The expression on Blues' face twisted into anger and sadness as he listened to his "brother" question him. What the hell was going on? Blues knew Rock had been acting rather out of character all day, but this? This was something else. "Stay where you are, Rock. Let me go and get dad. Something must have gotten damaged in the impact -"

"Damn it!" Forte roared, jumping off the table and clenching his fists, his knuckles turning white almost immediately. "What the hell is wrong with you people! Every single one of you losers are complete and utter dumbasses!" He began to inch towards him slowly, still growling. "Listen up and listen well: I am NOT your brother. Do you understand that? Your brother is inside MY body."

Blues cocked his head to the side slightly, still in disbelief. The fact that Rock's greatest rival was stuck within his own body just didn't make any sense to him. "Right, Rock. How about you sit down and let me -" A hand suddenly found itself locked onto his throat tightly, causing him to gag. He looked down, trying his hardest to breath, and found who he thought was Rock glaring up at him, trembling in anger.

"I. AM. NOT. YOUR. BROTHER.," he stated sternly, gazing at him with a glare fit to kill. They stared at each other for a few moments, one trying his hardest to breath, the other trying his hardest not to rip the other's head off. As much as Forte hated the Light family, he needed help to get back into his own body, and now that Blues knew who he was - if he was going to believe him, anyway - he was going to help him until he returned to his original body. Even if Blues had to die in the process.

- - - - - - - - - -

They stared at each other, one grinning with an interested glint in his eyes while the other gazed slack-jawed and in shock. Rock didn't know what to say. Wily had just heard everything as he argued with Forte's programming. He heard everything.

He knew.

iOh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,/i Rock thought as he watched him, frozen in place. What would he do now? Wily knew that he wasn't Forte. Would he kill him? …No. Of course he wouldn't. Killing him wouldn't give Wily any pleasure, especially in this situation. He'd make him suffer. He'd make him suffer more than he ever had before.

"So then, Rockman," Wily started, his voice oddly cool and collected for someone who almost always seemed to be screaming about anything and everything. "How did you manage to switch bodies with such a failure without my knowing? Hm?" he questioned, the grin on his face growing wider.

"…I…uh…" Rock looked away. He didn't know how he suddenly came to be in that body. He just woke up, and there he was. "…I…don't know."

Wily's grin grew wider as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Is that so? Interesting. I had assumed that you would remember what happened."

Rock looked at him quickly, eyes wide open. "You…you know? You know how it happened?" He got to his feet slowly, still staring at him. "How? How did it happen?"

The old man laughed loudly. "You think I would just tell you? No, of course not. Why would I?" He snickered at him. "You need to gain that knowledge, dear boy. I'm not one to just freely give such information away. Especially if it ruins all the fun I have in store for you."

Rock stared at him and shuttered as he felt something build up within him. An emotion he rarely ever experienced in his normal body had begun to show itself at full force. His eyes narrowed as he hunched over and growled loudly, clenching his fists as he radiated with anger. "You damn fucking old man… You'd better tell me what the hell happened right now!"

Wily laughed in amusement. "Yes, yes. I will, in time. But first, you must follow me to my lab." He turned slowly and headed down the hallway. "There is something you need to do for me before hand."

- - - - - - - - - -

****

Bibly's Note: OMFG, it's taken me so damn long to write my chapter of this thing. Oo And what a horrible chapter it is, folks! Sorry it took me so long. I just finished high school a few days ago and my job doesn't help much when it comes to wanting to do my own thing (and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I quit for this summer. A dumb move, considering I'm going to college, but whatever). Hopefully I'll be able to actually put some work into this thing this summer. I'll be slow (not AS slow as this last chapter, LOL) since I currently have two comics that I'm working on as well as getting ready for college, but…yeah! I'll do what I can!

Once again: please don't kill me!!! ::runs away screaming:: oo


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